This Week's Leaders

I'm A Married Woman!

I am so happy. Everyone keeps asking how it feels to be married, but it's really just... right. I feel right being married to my H.

Anyway... as some of y'all know, I was diagnosed with the flu on Christmas Eve. I'd been feverish for a few nights, and was absolutely miserable. They gave me a rescue inhaler and told me there wasn't much they could do, but based on the timeline, I'd be human for the wedding.

My little sister/MOH started getting it after my bachelorette party (which was the 23). I felt so bad for getting her sick. But the bachelorette party she planned was so perfect. Originally it was going to be something during the day and then bar hopping at night; instead it ended up being the "something" all day. I need to post pictures at some point... my little sister decorated the place (my very happy we were all visiting Uncle's tiny place) out in full Harry Potter mode-- letters in the entry way, a sign for Platform 9 3/4, made snack and drinks to fit the theme (butterbeer is delicious). And we watched the movies and played a drinking game (I had one alcoholic drink and switched to Powerade).

The day before the wedding, one of my best friends (who is also a paramedic) came in and forced hot toddies on my sister and I, and gave us her concoction of OTC pills and vitamins. By the morning of the wedding (when she gave us a whiskey-free toddy), my sister and I both felt so much better.

My wedding party (little sister, BFF, woman who is like a big sister), mom, SIL and I got ready in a cabin at the venue. We had so many contingency plans for the wedding-- we had heaters for outdoors (people were ferried to the ceremony location or walked if they preferred), but if the weather had been bad, we'd have had it indoors. Luckily, the day dawned just beautiful and sunny, almost no wind.

My mom is the one who decorated. She insisted she wanted it to be her wedding gift to us, and when the professional pics come in, I'll have to show y'all. It was breathtaking. I'd have been happy for us to go in and throw up some lights and linens, but my mom... people kept commenting all night. We had a hot chocolate and s'mores bar, a topping bar for the cheesecake (which we opted for instead of traditional cake-- best cheesecake ever). The food vendors we chose were amazing (I tried a bite or two of everything), the DJ was flexible and enjoyed himself, the bartender was kind and people tipped her well (we had an open bar-- beer, wine, vodka, and rum, and the alcohol flowed all night). I danced all night-- mostly with my niece and nephews.

Anyway, here are some pictures. We got one sneak-peek photo so far.

First kiss, taken by a friend.We had a sweetheart table with guest chairs, but spent very little time there-- just to eat. Otherwise, we were mingling (and I was dancing) all night.Best friend, little sister, "big sister" and I (in that order).The sneak-peek photo from the photographer. They loved shooting and we had such a blast with them.My SIL took this while we were getting ready. She was so amazing, always willing to help, and definitely the life of the party.Okay, so... my mom has been asking me for the past year and a half what I'd be doing with my hair, trying to convince me to do something natural-ish for the wedding, anything by my greens and blues. I was getting my makeup done as she was getting her hair done, and we were almost back-to-back while this was happening. She came around to see once her hair was done, and I saw this amazing surprise! She put streaks of blue and green in her own hair (temporarily). It was the most beautiful surprise. She insisted we take a selfie.

(By the way, the shirt I'm wearing is the one my H was wearing the first time we met. I asked him if I could wear it to get ready.)

Congratulations!!!! You look amazing!! And I totally teared up when you revealed that your mom surprised you with blue and green streaks in her hair!!! That is so amazing and a memory I'm sure you both will cherish.

Thanks! I can't wait for the pro photos. They're set to come in the next two weeks.

I also have to show off this amazing, thoughtful, beautiful gift we received. One of H's uncles is an artist. When we opened this, I almost cried. I'm a mermaid (I swim with a tail), so the inclusion was just perfect. H's uncle started working on this when we got engaged. We were engaged for twenty months. He worked on it until the month we got married. It's 35inx36in.